“Leading on Empty” by Wayne Cordeiro

yourmission — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:26:58 +0000

Wayne Cordeiro found himself paralyzed by burnout. He had been in ministry for 30 years, and 10 years after founding what is now the largest church in Hawaii, he found himself depleted.

Wayne took a season out of his growing ministry to recharge and refocus on the truly important. He was able to get back in touch with his life, get back in proper balance, and re-energize his spirit through Christ in a way that propelled him forward to greater levels of service.

Wayne first gave this message at a recent Willow Creek Leadership Summit, where it was the highest-rated presentation by those in attendance.

Pulling no punches, Wayne talks about the walls leaders must break through and how to move on with integrity. Included are ways to care for oneself physically and emotionally as well as spiritually.

“Confessions of a Reformission Rev” by Mark Driscoll

yourmission — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:19:18 +0000

This is the story of the birth and growth of Seattle’s innovative Mars Hill Church, one of America’s fastest growing churches located in one of America’s toughest mission fields. It’s also the story of the growth of a pastor, the mistakes he’s made along the way, and God’s grace and work in spite of those mistakes. Mark Driscoll’s emerging, missional church took a rocky road from its start in a hot, upstairs youth room with gold shag carpet to its current weekly attendance of thousands. With engaging humor, humility, and candor, Driscoll shares the failures, frustrations, and just plain messiness of trying to build a church that is faithful to the gospel of Christ in a highly post-Christian culture. In the telling, he’s not afraid to skewer some sacred cows of traditional, contemporary, and emerging churches. Each chapter discusses not only the hard lessons learned but also the principles and practices that worked and that can inform your church’s ministry, no matter its present size. The book includes discussion questions and appendix resources. “After reading a book like this, you can never go back to being an inwardly focused church without a mission. Even if you disagree with Mark about some of the things he says, you cannot help but be convicted to the inner core about what it means to have a heart for those who don’t know Jesus.”–Dan Kimball, author, The Emerging Church …” will make you laugh, cry, and get mad … school you, shape you, and mold you into the right kind of priorities to lead the church in today’s messy world.”–Robert Webber, Northern Seminary

“On Church Leadership” by Mark Driscoll

yourmission — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 16:15:51 +0000

In this concise book, one of America’s most influential pastors puts forth a model of church leadership that is both biblically sound and practically effective. (Practical Life)

Mark Driscoll knows something about church leadership. He founded Mars Hill Church in Seattle in 1996, and it is now one of the fastest-growing and most prolific church-planting churches in America. Writing out of his personal experience and biblical conviction, Driscoll examines six important areas of church leadership, packing big truth into this little book, making it a book you’ll actually read.

This book also includes some helpful appendices that answer seventeen common practical questions about church leadership, as well as a sample membership covenant and a list of recommended reading for further study on church leadership.

On Church Leadership is part of a series of thorough, inexpensive, and accessible books that give clear, biblical answers to difficult theological questions and controversies. Through this series, readers will get a solid and simple introduction to a major doctrine by investing just a little time and money. Praise for the A Book You’ll Actually Read series:

“Mark has a gift of taking weighty ideas and expressing them in clear and lively language.” Bruce A. Ware, Professor of Christian Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“Serious, informed, reverent, but not technical discussions of great themes.” D. A. Carson, Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

“Simply and superbly written Mark Driscoll has given us tools that can be placed in the hands of a skeptic or seeker, a new believer or mature saint.” Daniel L. Akin, President, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

“These accessible books will encourage believers to see that theology is not an afterthought in the mission of God and the lifeof his church.” Ed Stetzer, Director of LifeWay Research

“These books are well worth an hour of your time.” Craig Groeschel, Founding Pastor of LifeChurch.tv and author of Confessions of a Pastor

“Christian Reflections on the Leadership Challenge” by John C Maxwell

yourmission — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:10:46 +0000

Your Number One Guide to Exemplary Christian Leadership

Christian Reflections on The Leadership Challenge gathers together in one place a remarkable collection of leaders who share insights on faith and leadership. Well–grounded in research, this reflective and practical book shows how Christian leaders—no matter the setting—put into place The Five Practices of Exemplary Leaders®–Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and Encourage the Heart.

Includes Insights on Faith and Leadership From:

Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner are the award–winning authors of the best–selling The Leadership Challenge and developers of the highly acclaimed Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI), a 360–degree questionnaire assessing leadership behavior. The LPI is one of the most widely used leadership assessment instruments in the world.

John C. Maxwell is the founder of several organizations, including Maximum Impact, dedicated to helping people reach their leadership potential. He is the author of more than thirty books, including Thinking for a Change, There′s No Such Thing as Business Ethics, and The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.

David McAllister–Wilson is the president of Wesley Theological Seminary. He has focused his preaching and speaking in an effort to help revitalize the mainline Protestant church, encouraging men and women to consider God′s call to ministry, and preparing them for leadership.

Patrick Lencioni is president of The Table Group, a San Francisco Bay Area management consulting firm, and author of the best–selling books The Five Temptations of a CEO, The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, and Death by Meeting.

Nancy Ortberg is a former teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community Church. Nancy speaks to churches all over the world on issues of leadership, community, and the next generation.

Ken Blanchard is the cofounder and chief spiritual officer of The Ken Blanchard Companies, a global leader in workplace learning, employee productivity, and leadership effectiveness. He is the coauthor of The One Minute Manager, Raving Fans, Gung Ho!, and Whale Done!

“Basic Christian Leadership” by John Stott

yourmission — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:06:31 +0000

Leadership today is no easy task. Christian leaders called to shepherd others get caught in power struggles and are tempted to abuse their pastoral authority. Pastors feel that they must project strength and certainty in order to preach and minister credibly. Too often our models of leadership are shaped more by culture than by Christ.John Stott offers an alternative vision in this biblical approach to servant leadership, exemplified by the apostle Paul in his ministry to the church in Corinth. Above all, Stott reassures us that God is at work even in the midst of our human weakness.”God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” 1 Corinthians 1:27A clear articulation of the nature of leadership as well as the thoughtful study of Scripture we have come to expect from John Stott, this exposition of 1 Corinthians 1–4 offers us a model of ministry surprisingly relevant twenty centuries later: leadership rooted in humility and grace, serving the church with the love of Christ. Study guide included.

“Growing Leaders” by James Lawrence

yourmission — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:57:58 +0000

Whether you are a leader already, thinking of becoming one or involved in nurturing potential leaders, you will find helpful practical guidance in this book.

Seven out of ten Christian leaders feel overworked, four in ten suffer financial pressures, only two in ten have had management training, and 1,500 give up their job over a ten-year period. At the same time, as financial restrictions affect the availability of full-time ministers, more people are needed for leadership roles in local congregations, for every area of church work.

This book faces the challenge of raising up new leaders and helping existing leaders to mature, using the model for growing leaders at the heart of the Arrow Leadership Programme, a ministry of the Church Pastoral Aid Society (CPAS). It comprehensively surveys leadership skills and styles, discerning our personal calling, avoiding the ‘red zone’ of stress, developing character, and living as part of the community of God’s people.

The book contains an introduction and 12 chapters, in six sections, plus conclusion, epilogue and resources section:

Part 1: Leadership today
Part 2: Growing leaders know they’re chosen
Part 3: Growing leaders discern God’s call
Part 4: Growing leaders develop Christ-like character
Part 5: Growing leaders cultivate competence
Part 6: Growing leaders lead in community

“Effective Engagement in Short Term Missions” by Robert J Priest

yourmission — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:47:33 +0000

Effective Engagement in Short-term Missions represents the single most ambitious effort to date to understand and improve upon patterns of ministry in STM. In six sections, the authors explore topics such as the links between STM and older patterns of long-term missions; engagement with people of other cultures; international partnerships; specialized ministries such as medical missions; legal and financial liabilities; and last but not least, the impact of STM on participants. The goal of this book is to improve the ways in which STM is carried out and to improve the understandings needed on the part of all who engage in the ministry. In short, this book attempts to provide a knowledge base for those who provide leadership within the short term missions movement. Youth pastors, mission pastors, lay leaders, college and seminary students, and missiologists will all find information that is helpful and relevant to their concerns.

ROBERT J. PRIEST is professor of mission and intercultural studies and director of the Ph.D. program in intercultural studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley. Among his more recent publications is the 2007 book, This Side of Heaven: Race, Ethnicity, and Christian Faith (Oxford), co-edited with Alvaro Nieves.

“Is Short Term Mission Really Worth The Time And Money?” by Roger P Peterson

yourmission — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:11:40 +0000

This 1991 ground-breaking research study reports statistically valid changes in the perceptions and behavior of STEM short-term mission participants correlated to their mission trip experience with STEM. The study found substantial changes in prayer, financial giving, commitment to world mission, mission-related activities and education, and in feelings about returning to the mission field. Very helpful tables, graphs, and original study tool included. 43-pages comb bound.

“Serving with Eyes Wide Open: Doing Short-Term Missions with Cultural Intelligence” by David Livermore

yourmission — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:17:27 +0000

More than one million people participate in short-term mission projects outside of North America every year–and millions more are involved in domestic cross-cultural missions right here at home. This is encouraging news. But the work is not done. There are weaknesses in our approach and practice. And these volunteers need resources to help them prepare for effective cross-cultural engagement. Serving with Eyes Wide Open helps Christians understand the changing face of Christianity and how that affects short-term missions. In three parts, author David A. Livermore will take a broad look at what the twenty-first-century church is doing on the mission field, the assumptions people make about Christianity, and what it takes to adapt effectively to new cultural contexts. Perfect for all who engage in short-term missions trips–either at home or abroad–Serving with Eyes Wide Open will equip readers to serve more sensitively.

Your passport to learning how short-term missions can best serve Christ’s kingdom Short-term mission trips are great ways to impact the kingdom. Yet they can lack effectiveness because of mistakes or naiveté on the part of participants. In this insightful and timely book, David A. Livermore calls us to serve with our eyes open to global and cultural realities so we can become more effective cross-cultural ministers. Serving with Eyes Wide Open is a must-have book for anyone doing a short-term mission or service project, whether domestic or overseas. “Every youth worker thinking of leading a short-term trip needs to read this book!”–Mark Oestreicher, president, Youth Specialties “A challenging, well-supported, and carefully crafted tool that will transform your missions and service ministries into opportunities.”–Chap Clark, professor of youth, family, and culture; Fuller Theological Seminary “Livermore does a terrific job of looking at the world today, asking stimulating questions about our approach to missions, and giving practical insights into cultural intelligence.”–Daryl Nuss, international coordinator, National Network of Youth Ministries “Livermore draws on his formal training, personal experience, theological insight, and contemporary research to challenge our cultural understanding of short-term mission experiences and their impact on our service and ministry.”–Terry Linhart, assistant professor of youth ministry, Bethel College (Indiana) “This is a must, not only for church mission committees, but for anyone who participates in short-term–or long-term–missions.”–Ruth Tucker, associate professor of missiology, Calvin Theological Seminary David A. Livermore is executive director of the Global Learning Center at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary and is cofounder of Intersect, a ministry that provides leadership training and consulting to emerging leaders in ministries around the world.

“Foreign To Familiar” by Sarah A Lanier

yourmission — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:14:47 +0000

Foreign to Familiar is a splendidly written, well researched work on cultures. Anyone travelling abroad should not leave home without this valuable resource! Sarah’s love and sensitivity for people of all nations will touch your heart. This book creates within us a greater appreciation for our extended families around the world and an increased desire to better understand them.

Sarah Lanier is not only a perceptive author, but she has also lived and worked cross culturally worldwide. I have observed Sarah professionally, as a teacher and consultant, on six continents. She has character, insight and experience that qualify her to share intercultural wisdom that will be live-changing for her readers. –Loren Cunningham, President University of the Nations –Loren Cunningham

The “Foreign” in the title of this most-helpful book once meant people and cultures “overseas”. Today that has all changed. Sarah Lanier has captured the keys to understanding our own–and other’s–way of doing and saying things. I guarantee that if you follow the principles in this book that the boundaries of your world view will expand. –Peter Jordon